Section 1 Call 2019 - Farming Systems (Research & Innovation)

Basic Information

Research results have proven that conservation agriculture[1], as part of agro-ecological practices, has the capacity to increase crop water availability, and to control soil erosion. However, its adoption in Mediterranean environments has been moderate to date. This is particularly true for the smallholders prevailing in the region. Their vulnerability and limited access to specific farming machinery, the difficulties in maintaining crop residues on the ground and avoiding soil compaction, and the lack of alternative crops to temperate cereals adapted to conservation agriculture can partially explain this moderate adoption rate. This in spite of indications that conservation agriculture can reduce labour and energy costs. Profitable and successful applications of conservation agriculture to arable and perennial crops require understanding local agro-systems and socioeconomic barriers.

Mediterranean crops agroecology, systems and farmers can benefit from the widespread application of conservation agriculture in the region. While conservation agriculture has been widely adopted in semiarid regions in North and South America and Australia, large opportunities remain for its application in the Mediterranean Area. Action is required to increase crop water availability and to control soil erosion. A socioeconomic analysis is required to identify the barriers preventing widespread application of these techniques. The vulnerability of the smallholder farmers in the region, the availability of specific machinery, the competition for residues, the control of weeds and the lack of alternative crops to temperate cereals adapted to conservation agriculture stand as candidate variables explaining the situation.